Immigrant Family's Desperate Situation Takes a Dark Turn: 5-Year-Old Used as 'Bait'
A harrowing incident in Minneapolis has shed light on the dark underbelly of US immigration policy, where families seeking asylum are being torn apart with alarming frequency. The latest victim is five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained by ICE officers along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.
According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, ICE agents apprehended the young boy as he walked back from school, leaving him and his father to face an uncertain future. In a shocking twist, the child was used as "bait" to lure in other family members who might be present at home.
"It's just horrific," said Stenvik, describing the scene as one of utter cruelty. "Why detain a 5-year-old? You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal." The superintendent claimed that another adult in the household was outside and begged agents to let him take care of the child, only to be refused.
The Department of Homeland Security has attempted to downplay the incident, claiming that the child's father fled from ICE officers on foot and left his young son behind. However, this explanation rings hollow when considering the family's active asylum case and lack of deportation orders.
Liam and his father are currently being held in a family holding cell, according to their lawyer Marc Prokosch. "Every step of their immigration process has been doing what they've been asked to do," he said. "And so this is just...cruelty."
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from local officials and politicians. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote in a post on X: "Masked agents snatching preschoolers off the street and sending them to Texas detention centers serves none of those purposes." Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called the ICE officers "monsters," while Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., described the situation as "absolutely disgraceful."
The use of minors as pawns in immigration enforcement is a disturbing trend that highlights the urgent need for reform. As one Minnesotan put it: "We want safety. We want freedom. We want what's best for our kids." The continued exploitation of vulnerable children by ICE agents serves only to undermine these values and perpetuate a culture of fear and mistrust.
A harrowing incident in Minneapolis has shed light on the dark underbelly of US immigration policy, where families seeking asylum are being torn apart with alarming frequency. The latest victim is five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was detained by ICE officers along with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.
According to Columbia Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik, ICE agents apprehended the young boy as he walked back from school, leaving him and his father to face an uncertain future. In a shocking twist, the child was used as "bait" to lure in other family members who might be present at home.
"It's just horrific," said Stenvik, describing the scene as one of utter cruelty. "Why detain a 5-year-old? You can't tell me that this child is going to be classified as a violent criminal." The superintendent claimed that another adult in the household was outside and begged agents to let him take care of the child, only to be refused.
The Department of Homeland Security has attempted to downplay the incident, claiming that the child's father fled from ICE officers on foot and left his young son behind. However, this explanation rings hollow when considering the family's active asylum case and lack of deportation orders.
Liam and his father are currently being held in a family holding cell, according to their lawyer Marc Prokosch. "Every step of their immigration process has been doing what they've been asked to do," he said. "And so this is just...cruelty."
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from local officials and politicians. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote in a post on X: "Masked agents snatching preschoolers off the street and sending them to Texas detention centers serves none of those purposes." Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called the ICE officers "monsters," while Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., described the situation as "absolutely disgraceful."
The use of minors as pawns in immigration enforcement is a disturbing trend that highlights the urgent need for reform. As one Minnesotan put it: "We want safety. We want freedom. We want what's best for our kids." The continued exploitation of vulnerable children by ICE agents serves only to undermine these values and perpetuate a culture of fear and mistrust.
5-year-old Liam being used as bait?! That's just heartbreaking. How many times can we keep telling ourselves that this is not happening in our country? ICE needs to step up their game and start prioritizing human life over paperwork. What kind of system do we have where a 5-year-old is more valuable than the people who are trying to seek asylum? 
i was thinking about getting a slice for lunch today but then i remembered they're out of stock... anyway, back to this whole immigration thing... it's crazy how people can just get caught up in the system and lose everything. my aunt's cousin went through something similar with her visa and it was so stressful 
this is seriously heartbreaking, using a 5-year-old as bait is just insane, i mean who in their right mind thinks that's a good idea? 
it's not only cruel but also utterly unacceptable, how can you justify putting a child in harm's way like that? 
we need to do something about this, our politicians need to take action and make sure that our immigration policies are humane, not heartless. 
5-year-olds shouldn't be treated like bargaining chips in immigration cases, it's just not right 
. This is what happens when the system is broken and people are desperate 
. It's cruel, it's heartless, and it's completely unacceptable 
. Kids are supposed to go to school, play with friends, and have a childhood, not get dragged around by ICE agents 
. This is just another reason why we should be focusing on fixing our broken asylum system 
it just shows how messed up our immigration policy is. we need 2 reform ASAP 
this is totally heartbreaking 
? it's like they're playing with kids' lives 
no wonder parents are scared 
how can you say that a child is going to be a violent criminal? 
they're being torn apart because someone made a mistake 
we need to do better 
he just tried to protect his son 
and they refused? 
. I mean, come on, we know immigration policies are harsh but using a child like that is just despicable 
. The parents' asylum case is active, there's no deportation order... this is all just a huge mess 
. What's being done to prevent these kinds of situations in the future?
It's horrific that the dad was even forced to leave his son behind in order for them to be caught. ICE agents are supposed to be protecting people, not exploiting vulnerable kids. 
its not only cruel but also completely unnecessary. we need to start treating these people with human kindness and respect, not using them as pawns in some twisted game of immigration enforcement 
. It's not like Liam was doing anything wrong, he's just a kid who got caught up in his dad's situation. And now he's being held in a family cell with no explanation 
. ICE needs to take responsibility for their actions and explain why they felt it necessary to use a child in this way 
. We need real reform now, not just empty words 
.
and btw, who lets 5-year-olds walk back from school alone anyway? 